By the time Nicolas Talbott, a second lieutenant within the U.S. Army reserve, checked on the incoming texts buzzing on his good watch, he discovered dozens of messages ready for him. Talbott, a transgender man who took his oath of enlistment in March, immediately knew what the messages had been about: President Donald Trump was about to signal his much-anticipated government order putting restrictions on transgender members of the U.S. armed forces.
“Well, it occurred,” Talbott, 31, stated in an interview. “Here we go.” And transgender service members within the navy had been prepared. Within 15 hours of that government order, Talbott joined 5 different transgender service members in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by GLAD Law, a LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group, and the National Center For Lesbian Rights (NCLR). The lawsuit alleges that the brand new restrictions are violating constitutional ensures of equal safety.
The long-term purpose is not only to dam Trump’s government order, however to enshrine everlasting protections for transgender troops, Talbott stated.